Plans for new university campus in Barrow approved
Construction work's set to begin later this year
An ambitious project that is to see a university campus created in Barrow has been granted full planning permission.
Main construction work on the University of Cumbria (UoC) site is to begin later this year and is expected to be completed during the autumn of 2024.
The multi-million-pound campus, which is to be situated at the end of Buccleuch Dock Road, is scheduled to have 1,400 students within a decade, a Barrow Borough Council planning committee meeting heard last year.
Areas across which the university’s Barrow base will initially deliver programmes include advanced manufacturing, cyber security and supply chain and logistics.
Professor Julie Mennell, UoC’s vice chancellor, said the campus would have ‘innovative, inclusive facilities and provision’ and offer ‘progression routes and pathways for young people’.
The Barrow site is key to the creation of the Barrow Learning Quarter, part of the #BrilliantBarrow project that began as a bid for money from the Government’s Towns Fund.
The Learning Quarter also includes a ‘skills hub’ at an upgraded facility at Furness College’s Rating Lane campus.
Professor Mennell said the Learning Quarter and new university campus would ‘contribute to future growth and prosperity’ and drive UoC’s ‘mission to transform lives and livelihoods in our communities’.
Barrow and Furness MP Simon Fell, who sits on the #BrilliantBarrow board, welcomed the ‘fantastic news’.
“This will make university a very real prospect for many people from across Furness, and helps our local area to retain and attract people to our area, meeting the challenge of our declining and ageing population,” he said.
“This is exactly what ‘levelling up’ is all about – creating more opportunities for people right here in Furness.”
UoC’s new Institute of Engineering, Computing and Manufacturing is to be based at the Barrow campus.
Professor Jill Stewart took on the role of institute director last month while Paul Stewart became its founding professor of engineering and advanced manufacturing.
In October of last year, the borough council’s planning committee agreed to support the plan for the new campus ‘in principle’.
Outstanding issues around drainage, car parking and accessibility have now been resolved and full planning permission has been granted.
The firm behind the design of the new campus is Manchester-based Day Architectural Ltd.
The project is benefiting from collaboration with BAE Systems, with the new campus to sit next to BAE’s Academy of Skills and Knowledge.
‘Enabling works’ to pave the way for construction of the new campus have already begun. Technical design work is ongoing.
“Building upon the academic programmes we already provide to many in and around Barrow, we and our partners, including BAE Systems, Barrow Borough Council and Furness College, are committed to realising our shared ambition of enhancing education opportunities across the area,” said Professor Mennell.
“The awarding of full planning permission is a significant milestone towards achieving our goals.”